"Meow—"
A soft, rhythmic meow, carrying a hint of morning mist, drifted through the air to break the first light of dawn.
A new day begins—woken up by the family cat.
Leo climbed out of bed, rubbing his blurry eyes. He looked at the stout figure sitting by his bedside. "Morning, Big-Face."
"Meow!!"
The massive tabby cat—grey fur, white face, and a snowy chest—let out a low, dissatisfied cry. It extended a thick forepaw and, keeping its claws retracted, gave Leo's thigh a sharp swat with its heavy paw-pad.
"Hiss—!! Watch the strength, will you?!"
The sting woke Leo up instantly. He clutched his leg, rubbing the sore spot frantically while glaring at the cat.
"Meow~"
The oversized feline had mottled grey-and-white fur and large, purple, hand-shaped ears. It was so rotund and tall it practically rivaled a Golden Retriever. Ignoring Leo entirely, the Purugly licked its paw, turned tail, and sauntered out of the room.
Its job was to wake him up. How it did that was entirely up to her.
Leo was powerless against the cat. He could only watch her leave, muttering under his breath, "Stupid cat. Not cute at all. Why did they name you Lady?"
He sat on the bed for three seconds, gathering his soul.
Leo sluggishly pulled on his clothes and headed to the bathroom. As he washed up, he stared at his reflection in the mirror.
His name was Leo. Male. Once twenty-seven years old, now eleven. Once born in a coastal province back on Earth, now born in Verdant City, within the Province of the Aurelia Region. Once a buzz-cut, scrawny young man, now a fair-skinned, slightly chubby little kid.
To put it simply, he had followed the trend of the era and been gloriously reincarnated—or rather, a mix of rebirth and transmigration.
After all, his parents, relatives, and friends were all the "original" versions, just younger. He hadn't suddenly gained a random older brother or a long-lost sister; he was still an only child.
Technically, this should have been a cause for celebration.
But…
"My old house was just about to be demolished!" Leo groaned, the memory still stinging. "The payout was finally coming! My life of luxury was about to start, and then I just pop over here?!"
When he first arrived, every time he thought about it, he felt like crying. He had spent his entire post-grad life struggling, and just as the "landlord life" was within reach—no more back pain from sitting at a desk, no more worrying about corporate 'grind' culture—reality had slapped him in the face and said:
"Get lost. Go back to childhood and try again!"
Honestly, if Leo didn't have a high tolerance for stress, his mental state would have shattered weeks ago.
A Brave New World
As he adapted, things began to look up.
In this life, because the world was different, his parents' jobs had changed too. His family was actually quite wealthy now—transitioning from a "barely making it" household to a comfortable, upper-middle-class life.
His back was straight now. He no longer had to watch other kids eat at fancy restaurants while he stayed home. He didn't have to walk to school; there was a car to drop him off.
Cram schools? Not necessary.
Basically, with the change in family status, Leo decided being a kid again wasn't so bad. He didn't have to worry about a mortgage, a car, or a marriage fund.
But that wasn't even the best part.
The best part was that this world was exactly like the Pokémon stories he had read in his previous life!
As a lifelong fan, nothing could make him happier. Incredible creatures lived alongside humans in the middle of the concrete jungle. In the sky, on the streets, in the bushes, inside office buildings, and even in the sewers—Pokémon were everywhere.
The billboards on the highway weren't just for human celebrities; they featured humans and Pokémon together. The giant screens in the malls broadcast nothing but Pokémon-related content.
The globally popular sports leagues like the NBA or the World Cup were replaced here by The Pokémon Championship League and Contest Spectacles.
It was like Ryme City from Detective Pikachu, but with a subtle twist.
In most "urban Pokémon" stories, the creatures were invaders from another dimension or had suddenly appeared, with their history spanning less than a century.
But here? Pokémon were the original inhabitants, just like humans. The two species had supported and helped each other since ancient times, evolving together into the modern age. It was very similar to the legends of the Sinnoh region—leaning closer to the peaceful vibe of the anime.
Leo had been ecstatic when he first researched the history. The anime world was great—sure, there were villains and trouble, but the overall tone was positive and peaceful. The living conditions were leagues better than the dark, "grimdark" versions of the world found in some fanfics.
No corrupt Elite Four was oppressing the masses, no trainers with the power of life and death over civilians, no aristocratic families monopolizing pseudo-legendaries, and no bloody secret society initiations.
It wasn't that he lacked ambition; it was just that, given the choice, who would actually want to live in a world where their life was constantly on the line?
Leo was a bit of a coward. He liked this world just fine.
Even better: as an eleven-year-old, once this summer was over, he could enroll in a specialized Academy for trainers.
No more sitting in a primary school circle, singing nursery rhymes. In three years, when he turned fourteen and gained full legal responsibility, he could go on to even higher-tier academies.
This made sense! A ten-year-old with skinny arms and legs wandering into the wild was a suicide mission. Even if humans in this world had physical stats far beyond those of his old world, an eleven-year-old "adventurer" was still a bad idea.
Isn't it better to stay in school, make friends, and brag about your dreams? The "journey" could wait until he was an adult.
Satisfied, Leo spent his days hunched over the family's desktop computer or scouring the bookshelves, cramming as much knowledge about this world as possible.
A second chance at life in such a beautiful world? He was going to give it his all.
The Realization
Reality, however, has a habit of hitting you in the back of the head when you least expect it.
After nearly two weeks of adapting and managing to fool his parents into thinking he was just "growing up," Leo discovered he had a childhood best friend.
His name was Logan.
Leo only realized this when his mom asked why he was being so "good" lately—staying home to study for the entrance exams instead of sneaking out to play with Logan. That's when the "memory download" finally arrived.
Scenes he had never personally lived through flooded his mind. It wasn't painful, just surreal—like waking from a dream that felt far too real.
That was when he realized that while his parents were the same, his social circle and upbringing were completely different. In his past life, his best friend definitely wasn't named Logan.
He logged onto HIVE (the local messaging app) and looked through the messages. Logan had been asking why he wasn't coming out to play and if something was wrong.
He looked at the chat logs. He looked at his own reflection—specifically, his slightly chubby, "sidekick-esque" face.
Then, the pieces clicked into place.
Logan: The best friend. Handsome.
Background: Living parents, but from a humble home.
The Sister: He has a younger sister named Luna.
The Vibe: The "Protagonist" archetype.
Orphan starts were out of style; the "new era" protagonists all had loving families and a mandatory younger sister.
Then Leo looked at his own traits:
Family: Well-off.
Appearance: "Baby fat" (the classic fat-friend-sidekick look).
Role: The early-game "bank" for the hero.
Social: The hype-man. Calling the other guy "Big Brother Logan."
Leo felt his heart shatter like glass.
Wait... am I just the background character in someone else's story?!
The "Rich Best Friend" usually only gets screen time in the first few chapters before the protagonist leaves for the big leagues.
Fortunately, as a pragmatic young man, Leo wasn't one to wallow in self-pity for long. Whether it was a coincidence or whether Logan really was a "World's Choice," it didn't change what Leo had to do.
Even if Logan was the protagonist, what could Leo do? Kill him?
That was insane. They had no grudge; in fact, they were best friends. Only a sociopath would take a life over something as vague as "narrative roles."
Besides, Leo had read plenty of "subversion" novels. Who knows who would come out on top in the end? He just had to keep moving forward.
The Meeting
That morning, Leo met Logan at the entrance of a park near his house.
The two hadn't seen each other in a while, so they had messaged on HIVE to meet up and watch the local trainers battle in the park's public arena. Seeing Logan in person made the memories feel real.
Man, this kid is a looker, Leo thought.
Even at eleven, Logan stood about 4'7" with sharp, bright features and a clean, energetic look. He gave off an immediate "good guy" impression.
"Why are you staring at my face?" Logan asked, oblivious to Leo's internal crisis. He sounded curious. "Did your mom ground you again? You didn't reply to my messages for days. If my house weren't so far away, and if I didn't have to help my dad with work, I would've come over. By the way, where's your bodyguard?"
Logan's family used to live two doors down from Leo's, but they had moved a while back. If they didn't go to the same school, they probably would have drifted apart.
The "bodyguard" he was referring to was Lady, the Purugly. Because Leo's mom worried about his safety and was often too busy to supervise him, she usually made the cat tail him whenever he went out.
"...She's hiding," Leo replied naturally, slipping into his "childhood self" persona. "She's been obsessed with some spy drama on TV lately. She thinks she's on a covert mission."
To be honest, talking to an eleven-year-old like this felt a bit cringey, but Leo did his best.
Logan didn't notice anything off. He nodded and then suddenly got excited. "Anyway, did you see the Championship League match yesterday? Drake's Charizard was absolutely insane! He pulled off a 1v3 comeback in the final stretch! That battle is definitely going into the Global Top 10!"
He gestured wildly as they walked, full of youthful energy.
Leo hurried to keep up, nodding along. "Yeah, I saw it. That Flamethrower was something else."